


Heaven

by Heather_Night



Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Earthquakes, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Injuries, Post-Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-25 04:54:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21810385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heather_Night/pseuds/Heather_Night
Summary: Indonesia had seventeen thousand islands and the chances of Adrian being in the affected area had to be slim.  Right?  Then why was Deran losing his shit, dwelling on the worst-case scenario?Adrian was fine.Adrian had to be fine.
Relationships: Deran Cody/Adrian Dolan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42
Collections: Animal Kingdom ▶ Deran Cody / Adrian Dolan





	Heaven

Deran was wiping non-existent spills off the bar just to keep busy. The Drop wouldn’t open its doors for six more hours but he couldn’t stay home. Although with Adrian gone it was no longer home. When he was at the house he couldn’t settle, drifting from room to room.

Remembering.

At least at The Drop he could be productive. Although was wiping down a clean surface really productive? It beat pretending everything was okay.

He turned on the TV just to give himself something to stare at and the scroll line at the bottom of the screen caught his attention with one single word: Indonesia.

_A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the remote Maluku Islands in eastern Indonesia on Thursday morning, killing at least 20 people. Indonesian officials said the quake, which was detected at 8:46 a.m. local time, did not present the threat of a tsunami._

Indonesia had seventeen thousand islands and the chances of Adrian being in the affected area had to be slim. Right? Then why was Deran losing his shit, dwelling on the worst-case scenario? 

_Adrian was fine._

_Adrian had to be fine._

Sunlight flooded the dark interior and Craig entered the bar. “Yo, s’up?”

Deran opened his mouth to reply with his patented _nothing, what do you want_ response but he snapped it shut. 

Craig, who had always spoken fluent little brother, homed in on his non-verbal reaction. “What’s wrong?”

Checking the screen Deran saw the earthquake information was no longer scrolling at the bottom of the screen but was now the main topic of conversation. He gestured to the TV, still unable to articulate what was going on.

Craig squinted as he looked upward. “An earthquake in Indonesia, so what? Sure, it sucks, but what does that have to do with…fuck. Really? That’s where you were going? And now you’re worried about Adrian?”

Deran startled as Craig’s large hand settled on his shoulder and squeezed it. “Bro, did you call him?”

“No, I didn’t call him! He told me he…,” Deran dropped that line of thought.

_I love you too, you know. I have since we were kids and I probably always will. But you’re the worst thing that ever happened to me_.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Call him.”

Deran stared at Craig with disbelief. “You want me to call him? You’re the one who—” Deran stopped the words tumbling out of his mouth before he said something stupid.

“Yeah, I wanted you to stay here. But you’re a miserable SOB without him. Anyway, I’m not telling you join him, I’m telling you to check on him.” Craig bent over and leaned his forearms on the bar. “You’re worried something happened to him. I can tell.”

He _was_ worried but he couldn’t pinpoint why. There were more than seventeen thousand islands and 260 million people in Indonesia so he had no reason to believe Adrian had been affected by the quake. 

“Deran, seven years ago you said you were worried Pope would get caught on that job and you remember what happened? I sure as fuck do. He got busted and did three fucked up years in Folsom. Before he got caught, we made fun of you for worrying. If you think something’s up then I say you call your boy. At least that way you can stop wondering, right?” Craig reached across the bar and swatted Deran in the upper arm. It was the closest Codys got to hugging each other.

“Who are you and what have you done with my brother?” Deran was kidding but also not; Craig had never been this mature. Sure, he’d handed out relationship advice all the damned time but this was different. 

Craig had grown up.

“I just stopped by while on a diaper run. I gotta get back and give Nicky his bottle. Let me know how the call goes.” Craig let more light into the dark bar as he headed outside.

Maybe Deran could shed some light on how Adrian was doing with one simple phone call.

-0-

Deran found himself following Craig’s advice. He called the burner phone number he had but, not surprisingly, Adrian didn’t answer. He didn’t bother to leave a voicemail.

He had to do something. He hopped in the Scout and headed to the other side of town. He wasn’t even sure Jess would be home at this hour but he knew she wouldn’t answer if he called. Hell, she still might not open the door but it was something.

Jess opened the door, reluctantly, scowling at him. “Adrian’s not here.” She leaned against the door jamb, blocking the door, arms folded.

“I know. I just wondered if you’d heard from him. He’s not answering and I’m, um, worried.” There was something about Adrian’s sister. She made him feel like he was a kid and she was a teacher. 

Adrian’s sister pursed her lips. She definitely had the teacher vibe down. “I talked to him two days ago. He didn’t mention you.” When he opened his mouth to ask how Adrian had gotten in touch with her, she cut him off. “No, I don’t know where my baby brother is, but I blame you for the mess he’s in right now.”

“I just want—”

“I don’t care what you want. Now get the hell off my property and don’t come back. And leave Adrian alone and let him get on with his life. He’s wasted enough years on you.” The door slammed shut before Deran could marshal a response.

He agreed—Adrian had wasted enough time on him—but that didn’t keep Deran from worrying.

He loved Adrian. 

He sensed something was wrong.

If he didn’t hear something in the next day he was going to fucking fly out to Indonesia and see if he could find Adrian himself. 

He had to know, one way or the other. Adrian might hate him for staying behind but he loved the guy too much that he couldn’t ignore his gut.

-0-

Deran arrived in Jakarta 20 hours and 40 minutes after he left San Diego; he’d had nothing but time on his hands so he was very aware of the time crawling by while he was stuck in the air. Doing nothing. The flight to Ambon had been almost four hours and he was fried from so much travel. 

And worry.

Adrian shouldn’t have been in the Maluku Islands, also known as the Spice Islands, because that island chain didn’t get the world class swells. Then again Deran had done his research and he knew remote discoveries continued to be made with seasonal northwest swells that made it an attractive surfing destination. He’d tracked Adrian to Ambon—where the worst of the damage occurred—but now it was like looking for…whatever the saying was, he was too tired to remember it.

He’d visited two hospitals already and had struck out. He was now at the last one— _three strikes and you’re out_ —hoping someone had seen Adrian.

Or not. He didn’t want him to be injured; he just wanted to fucking find him.

The woman in front of him spoke Indonesian or Ambonese or something that wasn’t English so communication was slow going. He caught himself, barely, when he wanted to say Adrian’s name, instead using the name on his passport—James Smith. When he showed her Adrian’s picture, she said what sounded like ‘morgue.’ 

Deran almost vomited all over his shoes.

No, no, no. His mind refused to accept the news. 

She scribbled something on a piece of paper and showed him to the door, hailing a motorcycle taxi called an ojek for him. The driver spoke broken English and said he could take him to the offsite morgue. The whole ride he kept thinking how much Adrian would’ve enjoyed this mode of transportation—breeze blowing through his hair—as he knuckled dampness off his cheeks. 

The day was never ending—although he supposed it had ended since he was on Day Two of this journey—as he was directed to a tall, fit man with mocha skin, black hair and eyes and an athletic physique that still made an impression on Deran’s exhausted brain. This guy had slightly tilted eyes that projected both good humor and sexiness and a wide smile that stretched his high cheekbones; Adrian would’ve appreciated him, too. 

“I’m Doctor Arief Saputra, how may I help you?” He smiled kindly as his gaze swept over Deran’s bedraggled appearance. 

Scared to hear his answer, Deran barely held his tears back as he showed the man the picture. “Have you seen this man?”

The kindly look morphed into something else. A certain professional, almost flat, look. 

_Fuck_.

A man came slowly down the hallway toward them, interrupting the awkward moment, and the doctor excused himself. “Jamie, please, you are supposed to be resting.” The exasperation was clear in his tone.

Deran peaked around the doctor’s wide shoulders and felt faint; it was Adrian. 

Once Deran’s world stopped spinning he darted around the doctor and swept Adrian into a hug, sighing with emotion. “Adrian.” 

He didn’t miss the flash of confusion pass over Adrian’s pale face.

“Deran?” Adrian whispered in his ear, returning his hug.

The hug ended too quickly as Adrian wilted in his arms, barely keeping on his feet. 

The doctor hustled forward and steered Adrian into an office, clucking over him in an irritating way, scolding him for overdoing it. 

Deran trailed behind; now that he’d found Adrian, he wasn’t going to let him out of his sight.

-0-

Adrian awoke to something running through his hair in a gentle, repetitive motion.

It felt like Deran’s hand.

Dean was here in Ambon? Maybe he’d dreamed Deran rushing down the hallway, scooping him into a tight hug.

Maybe he was dreaming right now.

He blinked his eyes open and Deran, crouched next to the couch, came into focus.

“Are you really here?”

Deran’s face screwed up. Surprise? Hurt? He recovered, sucked in a breath and then answered. “I’m here. I had to make sure you weren’t hurt in the earthquake.”

Arief entered the office, bearing a pill and glass of water. “How is your head, Jamie?”

Adrian pushed upright until he was sitting. His head hurt, but then again it had hurt before he was injured. “It’s the same. Dizzy and tired.” He was grateful the injury he’d sustained in the earthquake was relatively minor. He vaguely remembered the floor shaking and waking up in the hospital and now he had the keepsake concussion to remember it by.

Deran rose to his feet and shifted out of the way when Arief approached the couch, proffering the pill and water to Adrian. “Here, this will at least address the headache. Unfortunately, the exhaustion is normal when getting over a concussion.” 

Deran piped up. “Wait, I thought you were a medical examiner, not a real doctor.”

Arief inclined his head at Deran. “I helped with the earthquake casualties and when Jamie needed a place to stay, I volunteered my office so I could keep an eye on him.” Adrian was lucky the doctor had taken him in; the couch was relatively comfortable and the man’s company kept him from feeling too lonely.

The doctor’s response didn’t seem to sit well with Deran who crinkled his nose but before his friend—ex-friend?—could offend Adrian’s host, he jumped into the conversation. “Thank you for checking on me. Would it be okay if I used your office to speak with my friend?”

The doctor looked from Adrian, to Deran, then back to Adrian. “Of course. I will return to check on you later.” 

Deran approached the couch cautiously. “Why is that man helping you?”

Adrian didn’t know how to respond. He couldn’t even tell if Deran was curious or upset. The medication hadn’t kicked in yet and his head still ached. 

He struggled to make peace with the fact Deran was here, with him.

He didn’t have the energy to leave so he did the next best thing; he covered his face and had a mini breakdown as his emotions overwhelmed him.

-0-

Deran didn’t like how this doctor hovered over Adrian. He didn’t trust the guy. He was tall and handsome and a doctor for fuck’s sake…how could he compete with _that_?

Then again, he had the edge. He loved Adrian, always had. They had tons of history. But there was something about this guy that set his teeth on edge. He’d done his research and he knew Indonesians weren’t generally accepting of homosexuals so it wasn’t likely the doc would come right out and make a move in front of him. The problem was Deran’s gaydar told him Arief was interested in Adrian.

_Jamie._

This whole situation was fucked.

Watching Adrian dissolve in front of him was a different kind of hell. Hiding behind his hands, shoulders hitching up and down…Adrian quietly lost his composure. Deran would’ve preferred shouting or even crying but Adrian looked destroyed.

Deran comforted Adrian the best he could but he kind of sucked at it. He never knew what to say. Hell, in this instance he wasn’t even sure what to do—could he hold Adrian? Touch was his go-to but Adrian held himself somewhat stiffly as he buried his face in his hands. 

Hiding away from the world or hiding away from Deran?

Deran settled for kneeling in front of Adrian and patting him on the knee. 

Setting aside his distrust—fine, jealousy—Deran cleared his throat. “Do you need me to call the doctor back?”

Adrian put his hands down and straightened where he sat. His forehead was creased and Deran wanted to rub the worry away. Even tear streaked and red eyed, Adrian was the most beautiful guy he’d ever seen. What was on the inside was even more beautiful.

Squinting at Deran—Adrian definitely had a headache—he visibly pulled himself together. Deran didn’t like watching him put his armor in place. He shouldn’t need it when talking to Deran. 

Then again Deran had stayed behind. Insisted Adrian leave without him.

He had a lot of making up to do. 

Adrian cleared his throat. “What are you doing here, Deran?”

“I couldn’t get a hold of you and I heard about the earthquake. I had to find you.” 

Flinching, Adrian tightened his lips. Tacit disapproval of Deran’s words

Deran braced his hands on both of Adrian’s knees and took a deep breath, spilling his guts. “We might not be together anymore but I still love you, Adrian.”

-0-

Adrian wasn’t sure what to do with Deran’s proclamation. Or his presence.

He’d been going through the motions since he got to Indonesia, fighting depression, and now…this. 

He was beside himself with happiness—Deran was here in front of him—but at the same time his happiness was tempered with heartache; he knew Deran wouldn’t stay.

Crossing his arms, Adrian steeled himself. “Now that you see I’m okay, you can go back home to your family.” 

Deran stood up and leaned over, crowding Adrian until he was plastered to the back of the couch. Adrian wanted to lash out—a punch or a slap might make him feel better temporarily—but he couldn’t lie to himself: He’d do just about anything to remain close to Deran. He took a deep breath and enjoyed Deran’s unique scent.

They were face to face so there was no way Adrian could miss Deran’s nostrils flaring. Anger? Excitement? Adrian didn’t know but he wondered if Deran would flip him over the back of the couch, pull out the lube and sink into him. They’d settled their fair share of disagreements over the years with make-up sex so it wouldn’t surprise him if that’s the route Deran took.

Deran shocked him by sitting next to him before gathering him into his arms and rocking him gently. “I miss you so much, Adrian,” Deran whispered. 

Adrian could’ve sunk into Deran’s arms like he’d done hundreds, maybe thousands, of times before, and just pretended things were fine. Instead he dug down and found his self-respect and self-preservation skills. “I’m not Adrian anymore.” 

That got through to Deran who leaning back, putting some space between them, flushing with anger. “Yeah, your friend Arief seemed pretty smitten with Jamie Smith.” 

Jaw dropping down, Adrian was flummoxed. And hurt. “I’ve been a little too busy getting over our break-up to be on the prowl.” 

Deran huffed. “I don’t think lover-boy Arief got that memo.” 

_Was Deran jealous?_. Shaking his head slowly, Adrian tried to make sense of what was going on here. 

His head hurt, he was tired and confused. He needed time to get his head together. Adrian made sure he maintained eye contact. “I think you should go now.” 

Deran’s face crumpled. Oh, fuck, were those tears?

“I don’t care if you’re Adrian or Jamie or someone else but I love you. Please don’t send me away.” It was the little catch in Deran’s voice that took down all of Adrian’s defenses.

Sure, he’d seen Deran cry before. But this seemed different. He just didn’t know if he could trust his judgment. 

Before Adrian could figure out his next move, Deran reached out and carefully touched Adrian’s cheek, dabbing at the moisture there with his fingertips. Adrian hadn’t even realized he was crying but then again, a day hadn’t gone by since he’d arrived here that he hadn’t sprung a leak. 

He watched as more tears snaked from the corners of the bright blue and bloodshot eyes staring at him before Deran reeled him in, slowly, and rested his forehead against Adrian’s. “Oh, fuck, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Adrian closed his eyes, giving in. “Where do we go from here?” 

-0-

Deran paddled hard, putting distance between himself and the beach. When he’d dreamed about leaving his old life behind, this was exactly what he’d imagined. Granted this wasn’t permanent—he’d be returning to Oceanside in two weeks—but he’d be right back here the following month.

He planned to hire a lawyer and see what he could do about Adrian’s situation. They could make a long-distance romance work in the short term but his long-term goal was to bring Adrian back to their own oceanside house.

For now, he would enjoy what life had to offer. He was surfing in the Mentawai Islands just off of Sumatra which had the most consistent surf break of anywhere on the globe. It was heaven on earth for surfers and he was definitely in heaven.

If this isolated spot was heaven then he had his own personal angel riding shotgun. Turning his head, he saw Adrian paddling parallel to him; his boyfriend’s coppery hair was slicked back by the spray, his bright eyes competed with the deep blue of the ocean and his white teeth dazzled Deran as he flashed a smile his way.

Without speaking—they had always been in sync out on the water even when they struggled on land—they finally stopped paddling, sitting up just outside of where the waves where breaking.

Adrian looked at the waves and then turned, making eye contact. “Tandem ride?”

Deran’s face stretched into a wide smile. “Only if I can pick the wave.”

Adrian’s smile pushed his cheekbones higher up on his face turning him into some exotic looking creature. “By all means, have at it. Your wish is my command.” 

_Your wish is my command._. That thought was almost enough to drag Adrian inland back to the house they were renting so he could put it to the test. Deran’s groin tightened uncomfortably as his cock swelled and he shifted on his board, trying to ease the pressure. 

They bobbed up and down and Deran remembered why there were out here. Surfing tandem was the most fun he could have outside of sex. 

Sex would come later.

He eyed the swell and picked a wave. “Go!”

He flattened out prone on his board and cupped his hands, paddling one arm at a time in smooth, long strokes. 

Adrian was almost close enough to touch, matching him stroke to stroke. 

Right by his side. Where he belonged.

Finis

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was Minor Illness/Injury.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
